Game of the Month: April 2010

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April showers bring.. unwanted moisture to games. Please keep them out of the rain.

By IGN Staff

If you're gaming on a budget (and who isn't?), you're probably holding out for May, where a tidal wave of hotness is poised to wash over us. Red Dead Redemption, Alan Wake, Lost Planet 2, Prince of Persia, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and more are set to drop next month. But that doesn't mean April is a lost cause. There were a handful of really solid titles this month, from ultraviolent action games to thoughtful RPGs. We played them all. A lot. These are the best of the bunch on each platform:

Don't knock it just because it came out six months ago on Xbox 360. These two episodes are a great deal, extending the GTA IV storyline by another 20 hours. You'll meet some crazy new characters, hear dozens of new tunes and get some new multiplayer modes. This is like getting two new games for less than the price of one. You might have thought you were done with Liberty City, but Liberty City isn't done with you.

Sam Fisher's been out of the spotlight for a long time. So long, in fact, that during the extended development cycle of Conviction it wasn't clear if he'd ever come out of retirement. When Conviction was finally finished and shipped, what we got was a much different style of game than Splinter Cell fans were used to. Stealth and action were mixed in equal proportion with explosively entertaining results. Think 24 mixed with Splinter Cell, only with 100% more Michael Ironside.

The Monster Hunter franchise has been around for a while, and the reception its gotten outside of Japan hasn't always been kind. It's got a high level of difficulty and requires a lot of time, patience, and planning to be successful. For those willing to accept all that, it's also an exceptionally rewarding experience. You kill giant monsters with impossibly large weapons, carve up their corpses for components that are used to make bigger weapons, and repeat. It's also one of the best online experiences for Wii owners that allows people to group up to quest together. It's a huge, challenging game, and well worth the time it takes to play.

Sometimes there's nothing that satisfies quite like an old-school dungeon crawler. Strange Journey is just that, letting you scour the depths of otherworldly horrorscape from a first person perspective. Not only will you fight demons, but will also converse with them and convince them to join with your cause. They can then be fused together to create more powerful versions, making for a cool mix and match type of gameplay as you're constantly upgrading and swapping in new demonic companions. With a huge amount of content, biting satiric elements, and a range of interesting characters, DS owners shouldn't pass this one by.

Alpha Bounce had us at "brick-breaking RPG." An Arkanoid-style game with adventure elements, it's just as cool as it sounds (if you're nerdy enough, like us, to think a brick-breaking RPG sounds "cool") and we're happy to report it's one of the most fun DSiWare downloads we've played. Five bucks gets you thousands of levels, an addictive upgrade system, and manic arcade action. Download this.

Why'd this PlayStation Mini run away with the PSP GOTM award? Easy -- it's fun. Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess gives players a simple gameplay setup (jump up, hit the monster three times, and only hit each platfrom once for major points) complemented by witty writing, slick graphics, and a whole lot of challenge if you decide to chase the game's gold medals and unlockables. Stop the monsters, get your princess, and have a laugh while you do it -- sounds like a winner to us.

Thanks to Sony and Microsoft's downloadable game networks, and publishers willing to put out compilations of their greatest hits, it isn't rare to see a classic arcade game show up on the PS3 and 360. Still, few do it as well as Final Fight: Double Impact. Here, you get Final Fight and Magic Sword, smoothed out graphics, remixed soundtracks, and an awesome drop-in/drop-out co-op system that mirrors the arcades of old. Never mind the whole thing is designed to look like you're standing at your favorite cabinet. There's some wonky DRM stuff, but the games are great.

Sometimes, the world is a very dark place, indeed. This month saw some OK releases on WiiWare, but nothing blew us away or even really grabbed our attention all that much. And that's what you have to do to win IGN's Game of the Month award. Better luck next time, WiiWare.

Can you believe Square made an all-new RPG just for the iPhone? Four pairs of heroes must survive the deadly Ark Arena to discover the truth behind its existence. Though it rings up at $12.99, Chaos Rings' excellent, fast-moving battle system, good story, and gorgeous 3D is worth every penny. Here's to the start of a great new franchise.